


There for You

by CityofFallenAngels



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Angst, Brother-Sister Relationships, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 08:23:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7883800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityofFallenAngels/pseuds/CityofFallenAngels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story that delves deeper into the sibling relationship between Kakaeru and Machi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There for You

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my 2nd fanfic I've published and reviews always make my day. I'm sorry if the title sucks but I spent ages thinking and really couldn't come up with anything else XD This story just came up after hours of thinking. I was surprised there were so little stories about Kakeru and Machi and I decided to write one myself.
> 
> Enjoy! (:
> 
> *I posted it on FF.net first then revised it*
> 
> Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya.

It was an ordinary boring day after school. The student council had taken a fifteen break from their work, wanting to use that time to rest before their meeting.

 

Machi was walking down the hallway balancing a precarious stack of papers for the council meeting, when a group of girls approached her from behind. Machi, of course, did not realise this until a girl called her.

'"Hey you."

Machi blinked and turned around. Three girls stood behind her, all of them with a frown on their faces. They looked very familiar.

The one who spoke had been the girl in the middle. She had bleached blonde hair, multiple ear piercings, and an altered uniform, all hinting she was a Yankee, and looked like the leader of the trio. The other two, presumably the 'lackeys' had long inky black hair and short spiky brown hair respectively.

Realisation dawned on her on who they were.  They were notorious school rebels, holding a disdain for any authority. And ironically, they were from the Prince Yuki fan club.

The three girls often came over to 'help' the student council; even though it was more trouble than help and it was plain obvious that their main attention was on Yuki. They always made Naohito fly into a rage for creating a mess. She groped her memory for their names. The blonde was Asami, the brunette was Yuko and the one with black hair was Mika.

What did they want with her? As far as she knew, they had always treated her as though she was air, not that she minded. Their faces did not look happy either, with the leader giving the darkest scowl. Machi didn't know why, but suddenly an uneasy feeling stirred within her. They didn't look like they were here for a friendly chat.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Asami's snappish voice brought her back.

"Yes?" She answered carefully.

"You're Machi Kuragi, right?" Asami asked coolly. She nodded slowly. "I don't wanna waste my time so I'll get straight to the point."

Uh oh, in her experience, that meant 'now let me get mean and nasty'.

Machi knew she was already running late for the meeting, so she said instead, "Please stop. I don't have time for this."

Yuko let out a disbelieving huff. "How rude!"

"Huh, our obversations must have been true. Time spent with the President has made her a cocky bitch." Mika sneered.

"What's your relationship with Yuki?" The blond demanded.

The question caught Machi completely off guard. Yuki? Why would they mention Yuki? She opened her mouth, but no words could come up. Her heart was racing as her grip on the stack of papers tightened.

"He's…a schoolmate, "She replied carefully. There. They should be satisfied now. But she was wrong. Their faces darkened almost comically into an even greater fury.

"You're lying!" Yuko accused shrilly. "If Yuki-senpai's just a schoolmate why does he seem so interested in you?"

"That's right, don't think we haven't noticed!" Maki spat, fists clenching. "He spends more time with you, always looks your way...what did you do to him, you freak? I'm sure you know that ordinary girls shouldn't be so comfortable with Yuki-senpai, especially for a non-member loser of the Prince Yuki fan club!"

Machi's heart thundered wildly against against her ribcage. They looked like they were going to pounce on her any second. Why were they so angry? It was true that Yuki talked more to her recently mostly about school, but that was it.

 

"I…just see him as a schoolmate." Machi replied as levelly as she could, not wanting them to hear the waver in her voice.

  
Asami stepped forward. "Oh, but we don't think so."

_Meanwhile in the student council room…._

 

"Hey, where did that Kuragi go?" Naohito demanded. He was in a rather foul mood today, and Machi doing the vanishing act while the council was nearly dying of work overload was _not_ helping. "The meeting has already started and she's not here yet!"

"I know! I know! Machi must have skipped the meeting just to avoid doing work! And to think Kimi thought she was such a hardworking girl…"Kimi fluttered her long eyelashes and sighed dramatically like a maiden in distress.

 

_'Kimi, Kimi, Kimi!_ ' All the boys thought simultaneously.

Yuki pursed his lips. "But Machi is usually never this late…"

Naohito slammed his pen on the table. "It's 15 minutes past the arranged meeting time already! Maybe Kimi is right, she did leave! How irresponsible!"

Kakeru decided it was best to intervene.

"Geez, cool it Nao! I'm sure Machi wouldn't do that." He said, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Stop it!" He growled, swatting the offending hand away.

"I'll just find and bring her back now! Problem solved!" Kakeru said with a bright grin. He swung off the table he was sitting on and strode to the door.

"Eh, Kakeru! Why don't I come with you?" Yuki said, standing up. "I'm kinda worried about Machi…"

"Nah, just leave it to me. You just stay here and get all this work done as soon as possible, Yun-yun. Bye guys!"

 And before Yuki could say another word he disappeared out of the door.

 

* * *

Kakeru strolled down the corridor beside the garden, hands tucked in his pants and humming idly. It was quite late in the afternoon so few students were lingering around. He stopped in his tracks when he caught the last sentence of someone talking, or rather, shouting.

_"…trying to test our patience, bitch? Why don't you just look at me?"_

He cocked an eyebrow. Was there a fight going on? It sounded like a girl's voice and from the tone she was quite angry. Ah, a catfight? They were always fun to watch. But alas as the VP he had to give the best for the students well-being and blah blah…

Mostly out of curiosity and begrudging responsibility, he went to check it out. Geez, he hoped they were at least hot…he approached closer, and round the bend, he saw a blonde head and then....

_…Machi?  
_

His jaw dropped. Three girls who looked like clear gangsters were surrounding her. What would his sister be doing with three gangsters? He frowned, slipping behind the wall to listen to their conversation.

The blonde girl was saying, "You're really starting to irritate me. Do you think you're special or something? Why should Yuki-sempai should pay attention to you? To think that you're nothing more than that boring girl who wanted to kill her brother...yet you of all people getting his attention..."

Machi looked at the floor the whole time.

Asami only got more furious at the silence. "Are ya deaf, bitch? How dare you ignore me? You're really getting on my nerves!" She shrieked and gave Machi a hard shove. Machi hit the wall behind her, stumbling down. The stack of papers scattered to the floor. 

Yuko and Mika exchanged uncomfortable glances but didn't say anything. Machi stood up, keeping her gaze low. Her back winced in pain. She didn't want to let them see how frightened she actually was. This only made the blond leader angrier.

"Look at me when I'm talking!"

Machi didn't say a word.

With an enraged growl, Asami gripped Machi by her arms and pinned her against the wall, her long nails digging mercilessly into her skin and drawing blood. She raised one fist in the air, fully intending to punch her.

"Hey, hey, what are all of you doing?"

Everyone's head whirled around at the voice. Kakeru stood before them, looking at them with a brow raised.

"Fighting is not allowed in school you know."

"What business is it of yours?" Asami didn't loosen her grip on Machi. She did not treat Manabe with respect, thinking the VP was just an idiot.

"My business is that it's part of my job to uphold the rules." Manabe approached her slowly.

"Well forget about the rules, then! Mind your own business." Asami said viciously. "It's not like she's anyone important to you!"

"Come on. Let her go."

"I said mind your own business, Manabe!"

 Asami whirled back to Machi, raising a clenched fist in the air, ready to punch her. But she never got the chance to.

A hand suddenly slammed a few centimetres above her head, a dark shadow looming over her. " _Let her go_." Kakeru seethed. His face had not a single trace of the usual flippant and joking air they were used to. It was dark and dangerous, his eyes holding a boiling anger that looked like it was barely contained. Asami rapidly paled, letting go of Machi. Machi fell to the floor, coughing. "If I see the lot of you touching a hair on her or going anywhere near her again, I will get you suspended and expelled, and I will make the remaining days of your school hell, but not before you get humiliated in more ways than one. You hear me?"

"Y-y-yes," Asami stammered. The other two echoed the same reply, all their tough bravado gone as they quaked.

"Get lost."

They were gone in a flash, stumbling over themselves in their haste to get away. Machi was still on the floor. She took a few deep breaths, the shaking of each breath noticeable

"I'm...sorry...I know I'm very late for the meeting." She started to pick up the scattered papers. Kakeru bent down, and took her hands. He didn't say anything, turning her hands over. Four red crescent moons punctured each surface of her wrist. Machi could have sworn something flashed past Kakeru's eyes for a split second.

"Come on, let's go to the infirmary." His voice was neutral.

"But the meeting..."

"Forget about the meeting. I'm sure those fools can survive without us for a day." He helped her with to pick up the scattered papers, and after a beat, he said, "Are you okay?"

 "I'm fine," Machi said, relief and gratitude swirling in her heart though it didn't show in her impassive face. She still trembled from what had just occurred.

"I really can't believe you, you know." He said with exasperation in his voice. "I thought you would have at least done something when that girl was about to punch you. But you just stood there and waited for it like an idiot."

"I...I didn't know what to do."

"What if I wasn't there, Machi? Would you have just taken it quietly?"

At his sister's silence, he sighed. Machi never fought back to her bullies, which was why she was such an easy target. Even in middle school it had been the same. They always found something to pick on her for and Machi being Machi would be too nice to report them. As the elder brother, it was always him who dealt with those attackers and he did a good job at it. But times were different now. They were in high school and people were more dangerous. And as they grow up and move into their own lives, he knew he wouldn't be able to protect her as much anymore.

He cracked a small smile.

"You know, you should really learn to protect yourself more…" He said, but his tone was uncharacteristically gentle. Machi's lips parted but before she could say anything the smile was replaced by a 1200 mega-watt grin and he jumped up.

"Well, that's the last of it!" Kakeru declared with a triumph smile, holding the stack of papers with one hand like a trophy. He helped Machi stand up with the other hand and scooped up her stack of papers as well.

"I can take-" Machi started to protest but Kakeru cut her off.

"Oh, nevermind. We had better get to the infirmary and then back to the student council room quickly. There's loads of work to be done and I do _not_   want to be there when Nao PMS-es and hates everyone the whole week." Kakeru laughed and started to walk ahead.

She looked at his retreating form, still stunned by what he had said earlier. He had sounded…worried. Although the last time she had been actually physically bullied was in middle school, she realised her brother had been her silent protector all this while. She resolved to protect herself from now on.

Then she said, "Umm, Kakeru…"

He turned around. "Huh?"

"…Thanks."

 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: *laughs nervously* Okay, I think I seriously made the two of them kind of OOC…I found it a little hard to portray Machi…*laughs* But anyway, see that review button below? Click it! Reviews are always greatly appreciated (:


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